1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to implantable medical devices, and more particularly relates to forming segments used to construct such implantable medical devices.
2. Description of the Related Art
Medical devices are often surgically implanted into a patient in order to assist or replace diseased tissue. For instance, a prosthetic device such as an artificial heart valve can be implanted to replace a defective natural heart valve.
It is important for such prosthetic devices to be substantially durable, as failure of the device may have drastic consequences for the patient. As can be appreciated, a prosthetic device that wears out prematurely may put a patient at substantial risk, both because of the possibility of early, sudden failure of the device and because of additional surgery that may be required to replace the device.
Some implantable medical devices comprise two or more members or segments of material that are assembled to form the device. The manner in which the segments of material are formed can significantly affect the durability of the device. For example, if the segments are formed by being cut out of a larger portion of material, the edges of the cut segments may be especially susceptible to premature wear. Also, imprecise cutting or inconsistencies between cut segments may negatively affect both the operability and durability of the assembled prosthetic device.